Last night was…something. Jin Xiyan’s waist ached with the strain he put on it during his second attempt of a wedding night. His clothes chaffed the bites, cuts, and scrapes that lined his body, adding to his worsening mood as he sat in the Dragon Chair as the morning court convened. The advisors, chiefs, various ministers, and other individuals airing a grievance or report stood before him arguing amongst themselves.
“We need to address the issue of the river flooding during the rainy season – a public works project must be implemented to form runoffs and a proper dam!” Shouted an official.
Another one scoffed, “It’s not even close to the rainy season, why should we waste time with that?! We need to focus on getting a proper physician and sufficient grain to the front!”
Jin Xiyan couldn’t find the energy to pay attention to the assembly. Normally he was very diligent, as he took ruling very seriously, but it was difficult when his mind kept straying to Li Changyu. His new bride proved once again to be the polar opposite to the omegas he knew. There was a softness when Li Changyu was vulnerable, but he was quick to bare his claws. Jin Xiyan felt guilty that he let himself get that riled up, and that he was so rough. He’d never gone that hard with an omega – not even a beta! – but Li Changyu didn’t seem to care. In fact, he looked like he enjoyed it.
“…Your Majesty?” Eunuch Su Ao startled him with a whisper. He blinked and lifted his gaze out to the sea of officials who looked to him expectantly.
He cleared his throat and adjusted his stifling robes. Jin Xiyan chose a golden high collar changpao in order to hide the nasty bite mark that would peek from a regular set of Imperial Robes.
“Doing this construction when it is not during the rainy season makes the most sense, but Zhen expects the Ministry of Works to compile a detailed report on the potential costs of the project. Share it with the Ministry of Revenue to confirm these numbers and submit the appeal. As for Commander Yuan,” Jin Xiyan turned his head to the wizened old man who still insisted on wearing martial robes. His consciousness once again flickered to Li Changyu’s face, and he pushed it from his mind. “Very few reports have come in about activity in the Northern border. Recall half the troops home, and the rest to fall back thirty li. That will put them near agricultural land – they can rely on the citizens there.”
“But Your Majesty!” Commander Yuan dropped down to kneel at the platform where Jin Xiyan sat. “The most recent garrison to return were confronted by a band from the Eastern Turkic Khaganate! It was the very same one the Empress was in!”
A low murmur went through the crowd and Jin Xiyan’s spine stiffened. A minor twitch of pain shot up his back, but he kept his grimace at bay and kept his face neutral.
“I forgot the Empress was in the military…”
“Isn’t that a bit suspicious? Is the Li family trying to curry favor and rank so openly?”
His eyes drifted just past Commander Yuan to Li Beidou, who also attended the court today. As a General he never showed up to court, only the other Ministry of War members. It seemed that now that his title changed, he was making an appearance – or perhaps, it was because of Li Changyu.
“Eastern Marquis, to your knowledge, is this correct?”
Li Beidou stepped up beside Commander Yuan and knelt down as well, “This is true, Your Majesty. Three weeks ago my eldest son was gravely injured and permitted to come home. My son–” The man’s eyebrows furrowed as he corrected himself, “–His Highness the Empress also received an injury. They returned home since we sent this current garrison. According to both of them and my sources, the–”
“And what sources are those exactly?” Sneered one of the vice ministers, drawing everyone’s attention.
Jin Xiyan knew what this minister was implying. Many of his advisors long suspected that the Li family were gaining too much influence, and had too many “friends” across the border. Beyond just hoping for an heir, keeping Li Changyu at his side meant he could force the Li family into some form of compliance.
If bothered, Li Beidou didn’t reveal his emotions. He calmly said, “It was in the most recent report, and it sits within the Ministry of War, should those wish to read it. The point is, there is still a threat at the border.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
This put Jin Xiyan in an awkward position. He had seen Li Changyu’s injuries himself, so he knew there was something that happened. On the other hand, there were only these reports, which were created by members of the Li family as they were the leaders on the front since Jin Xiyan ascended to the throne just shy of two years ago. If he agreed with them wholeheartedly, he would look partial to the Li family, if he outright rebuked their claim, he was going against what little evidence he had seen and risked some form of retaliation.
“Zhen will decree this,” he said after coming to a final decision. “Bring back a quarter of the troops, and pull the remaining twenty li away. This will still keep them within a day’s travel to the farm lands, but within distance of the border.”
Everyone knelt down and put their heads to the floor with an echoing, “Hail, Your Maje–”
A slam of the doors cut everyone off and startled quite a few people. Jin Xiyan sat up straighter and glared at the offending man who interrupted the morning proceedings. It was a guard who stumbled forward, unsteady on his feet as he approached the throne. One of the guard’s eyes was black and blue, and a split on his lip bloomed red. He swayed when he went to his knees and his helmet, which was already askew, fell off his head and clattered to the floor.
“Your Majesty,” he wheezed. “Puh-puh…This servant requests permission to deliver a message.”
Jin Xiyan collected every bit of regal authority he learned over the years and glared down at the beaten up guard, “What is so important that it dares to interfere with my Court?”
“A-answering Your Majesty, it’s…” The guard lifted his head and he hesitated. “It is a sensitive matter.”
“Spit it out,” he ordered.
Swollen eyes flitted around nervously, and the guard’s throat worked as he swallowed. Finally, he said, “I-i-its regarding His Highness the Empress…”
Jin Xiyan’s eyes narrowed and his glare turned cold at the mention of his Empress. He leaned forward, and in a dangerously low voice he asked, “What did he do?”
——-
“What do you mean I need express permission to leave?”
Li Changyu stood at the closest city gate to the Western Court. What stood between him from leaving the Imperial City to get into the Capital were five alphas hell bent on keeping him from leaving.
“No omega can leave the Imperial City, man or woman,” Idiot One explained, his pockmarked face set in a grim line as he glared down at Li Changyu. He stood toe to toe with him, completely unphased.
“When I used to be here, that wasn’t the case.” Li Changyu was losing his patience quickly the longer the conversation went on. He wanted to visit his family, and he didn’t have time to go ask Jin Xiyan. Truth be told, he was supposed to be in etiquette classes right now, so even if he went to ask permission, Li Changyu would be in trouble.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head,” Idiot Two, who stood next to Idiot One, patted Li Changyu’s hair. “These sorts of rules are for your protection. Now, run along and go find your Master.”
Li Changyu quirked a brow and made a split second decision. His feet squared off, a reflex that was as instinctive as breathing, and Li Changyu flung his hand up, smacking the man’s hand off with the back of his own. He thrust his other slightly curled hand forward, striking the guard in the chin with the heel of his palm hard enough that his teeth clacked together. The guard, now stunned, staggered back and Li Changyu stepped away as well to gain a little more ground.
“That’ll be the last time any of you touch me,” he warned the group, who were now a bit more serious. “Either move aside, or I’ll test how badly the Imperial Guard has fallen in terms of quality.”
The men obviously mistook him for a servant of some sort, which he couldn’t really fault him for. He wasn’t wearing anything grandiose as the other wives wore today when he did his morning greetings – which were abysmal. Each Wife was incredibly rude, and the lower ranking ones went along with the higher ranking ones probably in fear of retaliation. Li Changyu preferred just a simple pair of pants and robes, which was regarded as peasant wear as far as the guards were concerned. He doubted that even if they knew who he was that he’d be allowed out, so it was just best to avoid that conversation altogether.
“Now you listen here, brat!” Idiot One spoke for the small group while Idiot Two rubbed his face. “It is forbidden for any of you omegas to leave unless you have something with the seal of the Emperor and Empress. You have the count of three to scram!”
“Tch!” Li Changyu clucked his tongue, cursing himself. You should have just forged yourself a note, you dummy. He didn’t know where his seal exactly was but it must be somewhere in his room, unless it was in the Empress Dowager’s hands.
“One!”
Li Changyu relaxed his stance and rolled up his sleeves. Idiot One’s cheeks turned ruddy as he counted.
“Two!”
Idiot One took one step forward and Li Changyu held his hands behind his back. The other four, scattered on either side of him, took a readied stance. Li Changyu smiled and he could see the steam coming from the guard’s ears.
“Three!”
When Idiot One reached out with the intent to grab him, Li Changyu only had to lean away to avoid him. The guard was bulky and slow, while Li Changyu was quicker. When he failed the first time, his cheeks were as red as cooked prawns Li Changyu continued to dodge each advance, including Idiot Two who joined in the fun.
“I don’t think you realize who you’re dealing with,” he scolded playfully as he ducked with a side step.
That must have tipped Idiot One to the boiling point because now he brandished his spear. All he needed was to give the bottom of the spear a kick and the spear launched into the air. Two meaty fists held air while Li Changyu caught the spear in mid-air and twirled it around before bending a knee and entering into a fighting pose.
The guards were on high alert now, and one blew a whistle to alert others. Now that he had a weapon, they considered Li Changyu a threat, though they should have assumed that from the very beginning. That was their biggest mistake.
The next mistake was when Idiot Two rushed forward and brought down the blade of his exotic looking staff. He blocked it and deftly spun away, smacking the bottom of the spear against the man’s nose. The smack was loud enough that it hid the crack of his nose breaking, but his cry could probably be heard throughout the palace grounds.
Idiot Two dropped his weapon and held his face in his hands. Li Changyu slid his foot under the staff end and kicked the bladed spear into his other hand. He took a defensive position, holding the stick ends in an X in front of him. More guards arrived, answering the alarm, and formed a loose circle around Li Changyu.
“Your Highness!” One called out and Li Changyu turned his head to look back at him. The man was young, fresh faced, and didn’t appear to have much experience, but apparently he knew what Li Changyu looked like.
He rolled his eyes. Finally, someone recognizes me. The original five guards gawked at him, their mouths hung open, save for Idiot Two who was still nursing his broken nose. Li Changyu lowered his arms and tilted his head at the guard who spoke.
“Tell your men to stand down,” he ordered. “I’m leaving to go visit my family.”
“Shut the gate!” A different guard demanded, pointing towards the very exit he wanted to pass through. Li Changyu narrowed his eyes.
The man who had recognized him cupped his hands and bowed. “Answering Your Highness, we cannot allow you to do that! Omegas, especially those in His Majesty’s harem, are not permitted to leave without His Majesty’s permission.”
“There goes that permission word again,” Li Changyu huffed. The loud creak of the old wooden gate closing followed along with his next warning. “I’m a grown man, and I will leave of my own free will.”
Bang, snick, clunk! The two giant doors were shut and locked, but they were fools if they thought that would keep him locked in. Li Changyu stepped towards the gate and the men initially parted, looking nervously between one another. However, the one that had ordered the gate shut yelled at them.
“Don’t just stand there, grab the Empress and drag him back to the palace!”
“No!” The newbie guard who knew he was the Empress cried, waving his arms wildly. “Don’t hurt His Highness!”
The men looked more keen on just hauling him over their shoulder and carrying him away than following the other man’s orders. Completely cut off now, Li Changyu gave a heavy sigh and looked up at the sky.
“Heavenly Immortals, please weaken me, so that I may not kill one of these men and spill blood on this day.”
Using the regular spear first, he held it like a lance and reared back. He threw it straight forward and it whistled in the air, and the men threw themselves away from it’s path. The sharp blade pierced the wood high up on the gate and stuck fast, the shaft vibrating from the force of the impact. Several of the men had watched it and stared at it – the force of the throw had to be immense in order to cut through just a fraction of the thick, heavy wooden doors. The guards turned their heads back to Li Changyu, eyes bulged in surprise. Li Changyu just smirked.
The guard who ordered the gate shut approached him this time, his face stern and lip curled in open disgust as he made a grab for him. Li Changyu smacked his hand away with bladed staff he still had, then swept his leg out to catch the man’s knee and pulled his leg out from under him. The man fell back on his ass with a loud oof.
Idiot One was fired up again and tried to grab Li Changyu from behind, but he blocked the grab with the staff. Idiot One took hold of the weapon now to take it away from him and Li Changyu jumped and twisted his body around, wrenching it from Idiot One’s grasp. Before he landed, Li Changyu kicked the side of Idiot One’s face with the back of his heel. Idiot One also landed on the ground, his thick body hitting it with a thud.
“Is this the best of the Imperial Guard?” He mocked them, and the two scrambled to their feet. “It’s no wonder they keep the best in the army, there wouldn’t be much resistance in the Imperial City if an enemy was able to break the military line.”
Idiot Two, now slightly recovered, howled with rage. His broken nose was flat and purple, and his bloodshot eyes murderous. He unsheathed his sword and ran towards Li Changyu, his blade raised high. Several officers screamed out for him to stop, but it seemed like the man was hell bent on regicide.
Li Changyu wasn’t concerned in the slightest and blocked his strike. It was powerful, but lacked precision, so it only took a few moves before Li Changyu knocked the sword out of his hand with a kick. With another twirl, Li Changyu raised his leg for a round house and kicked the hilt of the sword, launching it towards the gate. Twang! Like the spear, it too lodged itself in the wood, splintering around the blade.
The dozen or so men ran towards him and Li Changyu sped up towards the gate. Raising the bladed staff, he waited for the most opportune time to stab the ground and swing his body up, using the staff to vault himself upward. He landed gracefully on the spear and proceeded to climb. He used that to propel himself up to the sword which was higher up. The guards below screamed at him and they all scrambled around, bumping into one another.
Li Changyu stabbed the top most portion of the gate with the bladed staff and lifted himself up and over the ceramic tiled awning. His weight cracked a few as he landed in a crouch at the top, then jumped towards freedom. Strangely, he didn’t land on the ground as he expected, but into the arms of someone.
“Yanhe!”
I am LOVVVIINNGG this novel soooo much. Best Omega ever !!!!!! I love a strong Omega.😍😍
I am glad you like Li Changyu!
lc is so refreshing…i just hope people especially ml would stop said demeaning words to an omega.
Thanks for the chapter ♥️♥️
Thank you for reading!
Thank you! Really loving the story so far!
I am so happy to hear you say that!
It’s so good having a strong omega who can think and can take care of himself. Now, if the emperor can pull his head out of his arse, they will be the ultimate power couple.
Haha, yes! (secretly sweating)
ahh that was awesome loved this novel although i didn’t like ML very much but i liked MC way tooooo much and only for him i will read this whole novel
Admittedly, you will hate the ML, love to hate him, and then you come to love him…and the cycle repeats.
i admit about that but still ahh you know he is kind of sharing his bed with his concubine on his wedding night ,, that just ticked me off
my liking him starts when that wife(fake-face) leaves or his real face comes out
and why is that I am damn sure that f-f is schemer behind all the curtains.
As time goes on, do be sure to share your theories in the comments!
LI CHENGYU, SO BADASS 😆😆
Stronkkk!!!😤😤
I love how that the emperor is feeling the effects of the sex. Usually its always the uke who is feeling it. The beating up scene is so cathartic. I fuicking love it so much.
Ahhsh i love this strong omega 😍😍